Put this on the governor’s reading list

For the second time in 11 weeks, The New York Times has published a thoughtful analysis of California industries preparing for a future that will be costlier and even more regulated because of AB 32, the state’s landmark 2006 law forcing a long-term shift to cleaner-but-costlier forms of energy.

On Dec. 25, the Times focused on Morning Star, a company that processes tomatoes into spaghetti sauce, ketchup and juice, and its survival prospects after Jan. 1. That’s when it will begin to have to pay for pollution rights, unlike rival firms outside the state.

Yet when these concerns are voiced by business leaders at legislative hearings, they’re often drowned out by claims that AB 32 is a job-creation bill, since it is certain to lead to new technologies. Gov. Jerry Brown, like Arnold Schwarzenegger before him, loves this hollow happy talk.

We’ve taken our shots at the Times over the years. But we welcome its honesty about AB 32, and its vast potential downside for California. Here’s hoping the governor hasn’t let his subscription lapse.